BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya, March 19 (PIA) — Municipal and provincial assessors here recently asserted that they can help in the growth of their province.

In the joint conference of municipal and provincial assessors at the Hill side Resort in this town, they prioritized this year the assessment procedures in their respective municipalities regarding taxable properties and areas.

“Our role is very important in addressing the vacuum in settling political boundaries and delineation of proper areas where taxation will come in as an effective tenurial instrument,” said lawyer Frederico Andaya, provincial assessor.

He said that the municipal assessors in the province were also requested and instructed to check their respective areas for segregating forest from agricultural uses, particularly taxable production areas with the presence of crops, residential or livestock use.

Andaya said by coordinating with their municipal counterparts, they will try to improve and prove that local taxation is working in Nueva Vizcaya.

He cited that through the aggressive efforts of the provincial and municipal-based assessors, real property tax (RPT) in the province has increased from P20 million in 2006 to more than P200 million this year.

“There is a projected yearly increase of our taxes to be collected because of the two mining companies which will be from P234 million to P1.03 billion,” Andaya said.

Given the proper support and cooperation, he expressed optimism that the province is on its way to become a non- Internal Revenue Allotment(IRA) province in the years to come.